CHAPTER 1 TVFC PROVIDER ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT Last Updated: 10/2014 I. Provider Eligibility Requirements To be eligible to enroll in the TVFC Program, providers must be one of the following: Medical Doctor (MD) Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) Nurse Practitioner (NP) Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) Physician Assistant (PA) Registered Pharmacist (RPh) TVFC requires all other health care providers to enroll under the standing delegation orders of a physician, including: Registered Nurses (RN) Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) Medical Assistants (MA) Nurse Assistants (NA) Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) II. Provider Enrollment Requirements A. Specific Terms of Agreement In order to participate in the TVFC Program, each provider must follow program requirements. By signing the VFC Program Provider Agreement, the office and any/all practitioners associated with the medical office agree to the following: Submit a provider profile representing populations served by the facility annually. Screen for and document TVFC eligibility of all patients at each immunization encounter. Administer TVFC purchased vaccine only to children 18 years of age or younger who meet the established eligibility criteria. Comply with appropriate vaccination schedules, dosages, and contraindications that are established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 1
Maintain all records related to the TVFC Program for at least five years and upon request make these records available for review. Not charge an administration fee in excess of $22.06 per vaccine dose. Providers must not charge administration fees for Medicaid or CHIP patients. Immunize eligible children with publicly supplied vaccine. Providers must not charge the patient for the vaccine. Not deny administration of a TVFC vaccine to an eligible child because of the inability of the child s parent/guardian to pay the administration fee. Not send a patient to collections or charge additional fees for non-payment of a TVFC administration fee. Provide current Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) for each vaccine at the time of administration. Comply with DSHS requirements for vaccine management including proper storage and handling practices. Operate within the TVFC Program in a manner intended to avoid fraud and abuse. Participate in TVFC Compliance Visits, including unannounced visits, and other educational opportunities as required. Acknowledge that DSHS may terminate the agreement at any time for failure to comply with established requirements. If the agreement is terminated, the office/facility agrees to return any unused TVFC vaccines. B. Initial Enrollment The VFC Program Provider Agreement Form must be completed at initial enrollment and updated annually. The Provider Agreement includes basic information about the facility and responsible provider. It also briefly outlines the provider s responsibilities. The VFC Program Provider Agreement signed by the responsible health care professional must be received and processed by DSHS prior to the clinic receiving state and federally-funded vaccines. All licensed health care providers (MD, DO, NP, CNM, PA, or RPh) at the facility who have prescribing authority must be listed on the TVFC Provider Agreement. The listing must include the signing provider s information. Information required for the healthcare providers include: Provider Name Title Texas Medical License Number National Provider Identification (NPI) TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 2
If the primary provider who signed the Provider Agreement leaves the practice, the Provider Agreement must be updated at that time and signed by the new primary health care professional. The Provider Profile includes the projection and identification of clients the clinic will serve in the upcoming year. The Provider Profile Form requests information about the provider s patient population. Providers must provide accurate data from the previous 12 months. These numbers must be specific to the clinic site and not combined with other clinics patient numbers. Data sources may include, but are not limited to, immunization registry, benchmarking, number of Medicaid Claims or other billing data, as well as client encounter data. The TVFC Program checks the Office of the Inspector General s (OIG) List of Excluded Individuals or Entities to ensure that a pending provider is eligible to participate in the TVFC Program. C. TVFC Enrollment Visit All providers enrolling in the TVFC Program must receive an enrollment visit prior to receiving any vaccine through the TVFC Program. The purpose of this visit is to ensure that the provider and office staff are educated on all TVFC requirements. The visit will include the following: Reviewing and confirming that the provider and staff understand and can implement all TVFC requirements. Confirming the provider has the proper equipment to maintain TVFC vaccine and that the staff understands how to properly store, handle, and monitor TVFC vaccine, and who to contact if problems arise. Verifying that the provider has completed the required training, You Call the Shots Module 10 - Vaccine Storage and Handling and Module 16 - Vaccines for Children. Placing a certified and calibrated thermometer in the unit(s) that will store TVFC vaccine. Checking placement of thermometers and the calibration certificates for all thermometers. Verifying the following: o The provider has identified a vaccine coordinator and at least one back-up coordinator o The provider has a plan for routine vaccine management o There are adequate water bottles in the refrigerator and ice packs in the freezer o The vaccine storage units have enough storage space to accommodate the provider s maximum capacity of vaccine TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 3
Assisting the new provider with: o Vaccine choice options o Establishing maximum stock levels (MSLs) o Online vaccine management in the Electronic Vaccine Inventory (EVI) system o Setting up initial order o Creation of a Vaccine Storage Contingency Plan o Completion of the Temperature Recording Form Verifying that plug guards are installed. Verifying that the following posters are hung in the clinic: o Vaccine Management: Recommendation for Handling & Storage of Selected Biologicals Poster o How to Administer Injections" Poster o Guide to Contraindications Poster o Giving All the Doses" Chart o Refrigerator Warning Signs o Do Not Unplug or Break Circuit stickers Providing Recommended Immunization Schedules, Catch-up Schedules, Resource Lists, and other materials to the provider. If any of the items above were not given to you as a new TVFC provider, please contact your responsible entity (DSHS HSR or LHD) contact person to have any missing items sent to you. Temperatures must be logged and in range for fourteen days before the provider is authorized to store TVFC vaccine. D. Vaccine Accountability Vaccine accountability is a cornerstone of the TVFC Program and one of highest priorities for DSHS. TVFC providers must ensure: Vaccines purchased with TVFC funds are administered only to TVFC-eligible children Vaccine loss and waste are minimized The TVFC Program is protected against fraud and abuse TVFC and other federally- and state-purchased vaccines are ordered appropriately based on a provider s TVFC-eligible population TVFC vaccine inventory is accurately reported on a monthly basis E. Provider Identification Number (PIN) A Provider Identification Number (PIN) will be assigned to the provider upon initial enrollment into the TVFC Program. The PIN will be the clinic s vaccine account number for the duration TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 4
that the clinic is enrolled in the TVFC Program. The PIN is required to be included on all TVFC forms and communications. Providers should enter their TVFC PIN into their ImmTrac, the Texas Immunization Registry, user account. Information regarding ImmTrac may be found in Chapter 7- Documentation Requirements and on the ImmTrac webpage: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/immtrac/default.shtm F. Provider Change of Information It is the provider s responsibility to maintain correct demographics, days and hours available to receive vaccine shipments, and profile information in EVI. TVFC requires that when a provider changes location that the responsible entity (DSHS HSR or LHD) be contacted immediately to inform them of the change. In addition, TVFC requires that the provider update the information in EVI. Failure to properly update current information may result in vaccine delays and possible vaccine loss. G. Annual Re-Enrollment The annual re-enrollment period is from January 1 through March 31. TVFC requires that the VFC Program Provider Agreement and Provider Profile Forms be updated annually. The VFC Program Provider Agreement and Provider Profile Forms must also be updated if the provider s patient population changes and/or when the provider who signed the form is no longer associated with the clinic. Vaccine shipments may be interrupted if TVFC providers do not have current enrollment information on file. Providers are required to complete the You Call the Shots Module 10 - Vaccine Storage and Handling and Module 16 - Vaccines for Children annual training prior to re-enrolling. Certificates of completion must be included with the reenrollment forms. H. Deputization of Clinics In an effort to increase the number of children who are eligible for federal entitlement vaccine and ensure state compliance with the federal VFC eligibility, Texas has implemented deputization of public health department clinics. Delegation of Authority (DOA) or deputization, allows Texas federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health centers (RHCs) to confer authority for vaccinating underinsured children. Underinsured served in FQHC/RHC or deputized sites are eligible for federal VFC vaccine according to federal guidance. TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 5
III. Provider Withdrawal from TVFC Providers wanting to withdraw from the TVFC Program must contact the responsible entity (DSHS HSR or LHD) to arrange for vaccine pick-up and assistance with final paperwork. Prior to withdrawal, the provider must complete a Provider Withdrawal Form and submit the form to the DSHS HSR or LHD. IV. Provider Termination from TVFC Providers may be terminated for non-compliance with TVFC requirements and/or fraud and abuse. Information regarding fraud and abuse in the TVFC Program may be found in Chapter 6 Fraud and Abuse. Providers who have been terminated from the TVFC Program must wait one year before being allowed to re-enroll. An orientation of the TVFC guidelines, on-site education and a focused site review assessment to confirm that the problems have been resolved will occur prior to their re-enrollment into the program. The provider must have a current and valid license to administer vaccine in the state of Texas. In addition, the TVFC Program checks the OIG List of Excluded Individuals or Entities for federally-funded healthcare programs to ensure that a pending provider is eligible to participate in the TVFC Program. TVFC requires the provider to meet and perform all enrollment processes, including demonstrating that they have the proper vaccine storage and procedures in place prior to receiving vaccines. TVFC Provider Eligibility and Enrollment - 6